Too Good To Be True
by DoctorStarlett
Summary: A new CSI takes over for Sara when she goes on Maternity leave - Someone who bears a striking resemblance to an old flame of Nick's...find out who it is. Better summary inside. A/U - Sara, Grissom and Warrick are in the story. Complete as I got bored.
1. Chapter 1

Too Good to be True?

A/N: I suddenly have a wave of inspiration. This inspiration came from an episode from the first season "Boom" Where Nick was involved with a hooker named Kristy Hopkins. Kristy's pimp murdered her and he was left saddened by her death. Now – we do not know anything about her family so I will invent a sister for her…. What happens when this sister applies for a job as a CSI at the LV crime lab? This takes place during the current season – 10 only in this A/U, Grissom, Sara and Warrick are still around and Langston is not at the lab.

Amanda Simpson walked into the Las Vegas Crime lab, she was a tall gorgeous brunette with sparkling brown eyes and small pouty lips. That day she wore a very conservative outfit consisting of long black pants, white blouse and a matching black blazer. She wore a small digital watch and a necklace with the initial "K" on it. She wore no other jewelry except she had small stud earrings in her ears. She approached the reception area.

"May I help you?" asked Judy.

"I'm Amanda Simpson, I'm here to see Gil Grissom."

Judy smiled. "Please have a seat and he'll be right with you." She said.

Amanda nodded and sat in the reception area while Judy paged Grissom. Grissom arrived at reception within moments.

"Hello Ms. Simpson, glad you could make it on such short notice. Did you have trouble finding the place?"

"Not really, I _goggled _ the lab and got the directions from where I'm staying." She said with a smile.

They walked down to Grissom's office where he described the job. She was a CSI level 2 from Miami.

"You do realize that this is going to be a contract maternity leave position right." Grissom said after they went through all the usual questions.

"Yes I do. Pending the outcome of this interview, I have my apartment ready to sublet and I have a place to stay here in Vegas as well.

Grissom smiled. "Ok. Well I will introduce you to the rest of my team. I don't really have to ask any more questions – you seem to be very knowledgeable about everything that is needed for this job."

Amanda was stunned. "You are hiring me on the spot?"

"Yes. When can you start?"

"Can I have two weeks? That way I can go back to Miami and get everything settled with my sublet and bring back my stuff to my place here in Vegas."

Grissom nodded. "Yes two or three weeks is fine." He said. "Follow me, I'll introduce you."

Amanda followed Grissom to the break room where Nick & Warrick were discussing the previous night's basket ball game. The moment Nick saw Amanda he turned pale as a ghost.

"A-Are you ok Nick?" Warrick asked. Nick continued to stare at Amanda not saying anything.

"Nick close your mouth!" Grissom admonished. " Nick, Warrick, this is Amanda Simpson, she is going to be our new CSI for the next year while Sara is on maternity leave.

"Nice to meet you both." She replied politely and shook their hands and gave Nick a quizzical look while doing so.

Grissom led her to the layout room where Catherine and a very pregnant Sara were discussing a case.

"Ladies, this is Amanda Simpson, she is going to be our new CSI for the next year."

Catherine and Sara looked up from their work and smiled. "Pleased to meet you Amanda." Catherine said. Sara smiled but said nothing.

Grissom went on to the various labs and introduced her to Archie, Wendy, Mandy, Bobby, Hodges, Doc Robbins & Super Dave.

"That's a lot of people to remember." She said with a laugh.

"And that is only the Grave Shift team, But you won't have to worry about the other shifts – you'll be working Grave most of the time – we do tend to work two and the odd third shift too. "

"Who is Ecklie?" she said in a whisper.

"He's the undersheriff, you'll meet him soon enough." Grissom replied.

Back in the break room….

"Nick! What's up with you man? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Kristy Hopkins." Was his response.

"Nick she was killed 9 years ago."

"Ghost"

"There is no such thing as ghosts."

"Sister?"

"Stop talking in single words." Warrick said rolling his eyes.

"Kristy was my twin sister." Said a voice.

Both men turned to see Amanda Simpson standing in the door. A single tear was rolling down her eye.

"W-why d-didn't you.." Nick began.

Amanda shook her head and finished his sentence. "identify her body? Deal with her funeral? Sadly Kristy and I were adopted and separated at birth – hence our different last names and even though I saw her death notice in the paper – I was living too far away to do anything. Besides, my adoptive parents were super religious. Anti-gay and much worse and controlling as well." She began.

"You were 25 at the time of your sister's death, a legal adult." Nick said reproachfully. "you had your own mind didn't you?"

Amanda looked at him. "I had no money Nick. My parents were that controlling of my money and everything I did. I worked but the money was handed over to them and put in their account."

"How did you become a CSI?"

"When my parents died in that horrible accident, I was the sole beneficiary and sold the house and paid for my schooling while living in a smaller apartment. " she said.

Nick and Warrick exchanged glances, to which Amanda saw. "Get your mind outta there! I did not kill my parents! I may have hated their controlling ways, but I still wouldn't kill them!"

Catherine and Sara joined them, just then in the break room. Catherine needed to rest her eyes and Sara needed food. She was eating for three so she was hungry.

"Hey Sara, um when are you due?"

"Uh, very soon. I'm actually 2 days late – go figure that. " she said and ate a banana.

"And you're carrying twins? Doesn't the doctor usually induce early?"

"During my last check up, things were progressing well and the doctor said that I didn't need to be induced early." Sara said. And then she began to wince.

"You ok?" Catherine asked.

"Get Grissom" Sara said in a strained voice and Catherine ran to get him.

Amanda looked at Sara. "Gil Grissom is the father?"

Despite her pain, Sara looked at her with disdain. "Gil Grissom is my husband and yes he is the father do you have a problem with that?"

Amanda backed off and said nothing as Grissom entered the room.

"Are you in labour?" he asked.

They looked at her, a puddle had formed under her – her water had broken.

Gil looked at Amanda. "Can you start tonight?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI.

After the ambulance was called and whisked Sara and Grissom away, Catherine took charge. She handed out the assignments and paired herself with Warrick while pairing Nick with Amanda. Greg had the night off so he didn't get a chance to meet Amanda yet.

On their way to their case – a 419 on the strip, Nick and Amanda were very quiet.

"I-I am very sorry about your sister." Nick blurted.

"Nick she's been gone 9 years." Amanda said stoically.

"Have you any idea what uh she did for a living?" Nick asked.

Amanda sighed. "Yes I did. Despite being separated when we were young, we did keep in contact, then we lost contact and through various means, I found out what she did and tried to get her out of the biz but …" Amanda shrugged. "It didn't work obviously. I'd like to have a word or two with that ass that murdered her."

"He's in jail serving a life sentence for Kristy's murder. Last I heard he was in solitary for spitting on a guard." Nick said.

Amanda was quiet. "Don't tell me our 419 is a dead hooker!" she said suddenly.

A woman in her mid-twenties dressed in obvious hooker wear approached their car.

"Ellie?" Nick asked , recognizing Ellie Brass, Jim Brass's daughter.

"Do I know you?" the woman asked puffing on a smoke, looking rather drugged out and a bit scared.

"Nick Stokes, I'm a friend of your dad's. Listen Ellie, please tell me what happened."

Ellie looked at Nick and then broke down. "I tried to tell her but she wouldn't listen! I tried to tell her he was bad news!"

"What are you talking about Ellie? Who? Who did this? "

Ellie looked at Nick. "Jack Willman" she said.

Nick and Amanda exchanged panicked looks. "He is in jail Ellie, serving life for murder."

Ellie looked at them. "He's out now." She stated and then pointed.

Sure enough Jack Willman, the man that murdered Kristy Hopkins and possibly Ellie's friend was out of jail and heading right towards them.

"Your ass is grass Ellie, why didja have to call the cops huh, had you been a good little girl and do as I say then Bridget would not have been killed, but no you had to disobey me and guess what Bridget got it. You're next." He said.

"Um you do realize you are threatening this girl right in front of us don't you. Also you just admitted to killing this 'Bridgit'" Amanda said.

Jack looked at Amanda. "I thought I murdered you 9 years ago! I was convicted of killing you and now you show up?? Boy the lawyers are gonna be in trouble." He said laughing and making a call.

Amanda was about to say something, but Nick stopped her. "Not yet, let him believe what he wants to believe. Amanda gave him a 1000 watt smile.

Nick called it in and Ellie was picked up and brought to LVPD. The dead girl was examined by Super Dave who estimated her TOD of about an hour ago.

Super Dave and the others transported Bridget's body to the morgue where Doc Robbins would do the autopsy and other such tests that he needed to do.

Detective Ortega questioned Ellie Brass.

"What were you doing in Vegas?"

"What do you think?" she replied.

Ortega glowered at the girl. "Why should I help you – you're a junkie just like you've always been."

"My best friend was murdered and you insult me how kind." She said sarcastically.

"Did you and your friend break Jack Willman out of jail?"

"I certainly did not! I know he was a bad person considering he was in jail for life!" she exclaimed.

"What did Bridget do to piss him off?"

"She wouldn't sleep with a disgusting dirty old man."

"Do you have this dude's name?"

Ellie shook her head. "Jack told her to go to a certain hotel room in the Four Aces and to service this guy. She went there then saw how yucky he looked and she turned around and left. The client called Jack to complain he didn't get what he paid for and Jack killed her."

"You saw Jack kill her?"

Ellie nodded. "She left the hotel room and Jack had already heard from the angry client. Jack killed her right on the street."

"With you watching? If that is the case, Ellie, then why the hell didn't he kill you too?"

"I ran as soon as he started to attack her."

Ortega looked at her. "I don't believe you. You are a junkie and a liar. "

Ellie knew that her father had probably never spoken highly of her but she also knew that Ortega was one of the cops that no one liked. Apparently Undersheriff Conrad Ecklie didn't like him either.

Ellie was locked up in a cell and Ortega told her that when she decides to come clean about everything, then someone would release her and allow her to talk again, but until then she'll be in lockup.

When Jim Brass heard, he was angry. "You did WHAT?" he thundered.

"I locked up your lying whore of a daughter that's what. She knows more than she's telling and so she'll do hard time until she comes clean."

"I'm going to see my daughter and release her as you don't have the right to lock her up Ortega. "

"Yes I do when I think the streets are going to be safer without her on it."

"Then go after Jack Willman. Find out how the hell he got out of jail!" Brass said and he was now nose to nose with Ortega.

Ortega backed down and snarled at him under his breath. _"Douchebag"_ Fortunately brass did not hear him, he had already left his office to go see Ellie.

Meanwhile Nick and Amanda were combing the crime scene looking for all the clues and when stuff was found, markers were put down to mark the spot.

"Are you going to be ok?"

"Knowing that my sister's killer is out doesn't make me feel very secure. Especially now that he thinks that I am her - or her ghost or something!"

Nick smiled. "I'll protect you Amanda, as a collegue, uh you won't' have to worry about Jack Willman."

"I hope not – um at least not tonight as Catherine hasn't issued me a weapon." She said.

Nick frowned. "You're unarmed?"

Amanda nodded. "Yea, she just handed out assignments and before I could ask her for a weapon, she and Warrick had taken off to their scene."

Nick shook his head. "You really need to have a weapon Amanda, um – I'll call a colleague of ours…"

Nick called Greg Sanders.

"Someone must be dying for you to call me at this late hour!" came the tired greeting.

Granted it was 2:00am.

"Greg , get your ass out of bed, I need you to come in. …" he began and gave Greg the low-down on why he was needed.

"Oh-f-Fine!" he said. "Gimme ten minutes and I'll meet you outside the Orpheus" he said.

"My collegue, Greg Sanders, charming and pleasant guy." Nick said.

"Really, from his rant, he doesn't sound as much."

"We kinda woke him out of a deep sleep, plus he has a friend over…doesn't bode well." Nic k said.

Amanda laughed.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI

When Nick and Amanda returned to CSI to get their evidence to the lab techs, they came across Catherine, talking quietly on her cell. Nick and Amanda had waited for Greg to arrive then let him finish processing the scene. Jack Willman was still on the loose and Nick wanted to go out and find him.

"When are you coming back Gil! We need you here"

"Catherine, what is the problem, I'm at home with my wife and children. Sara needs extra assistance now that both twins are at home. "

"Gil, that new girl, Amanda needs her firearm, I don't know how to authorize it."

Gil exasperated a breath. "Go to Bobby Dawson, he has the forms and the guns all you have to do is fill out the form, have Amanda sign it, and you sign it as a witness and hand it to her. That's all there is to it."

"Answer my question though – when are you coming back?"

"Catherine I don't know. I have to stay with Sara and the children as …" Gil began to get a little choked up.

"Gil?"

"Catherine, it's Sara, what did you say to my husband to upset him so much?"

"I asked him when he was returning, that is all!"

"He has booked off 6 months parental leave Catherine. He needs to stay with me and the babies."

Sara was being as evasive as Grissom.

"I am not going to leave it until I get the real reason Sara."

Sara made an exasperated noise. "Catherine, I had triplets and one of the triplets is still in the neo-natal centre at the hospital. One of the babies that I already was able to take home was born blind! The other one so far so good so if you don't mind I have a mountain of things to do to take care of my children, not to mention going to visit my ill child in the hospital!" Sara slammed down the phone.

"He could have told me the truth!"

Judy knocked on the door. "Uh Ms. Willows this telegram uh came earlier I just forgot to give it to you."

Catherine snatched the telegram from Judy who scurried away and then Catherine read it. It outlined everything that Sara had told her in their phone call. Sara had triplets, one baby was born blind and the other still in the neo-natal unit at the hospital and Grissom was taking 6 month paternity leave… all spelled out in that telegram.

Greg Sanders entered CSI with the remaining evidence from the crime scene. "Where's Nick, Catherine?"

"I don't know, have you looked for him?"

Greg backed off and went to look for him. Nick and Amanda were in the layout room discussing the case.

"We need to talk to Ellie Brass, she's our link isn't she."

"Yes she is. But Jim won't let anyone talk to her right now."

Wendy appeared at the door.

"Yes Wendy. The semen in uh the vic's uh …"she began. "is uh Jack Willmans. There is another contributor as well. "

"Another semen contributor?" Asked Amanda.

"No it 's not semen it's female."

"Who's is it and how the hell was it found in Bridget?"

"It is Ellie Brass and what I think could have happened is uh Jack um did them both? And some of Ellie's contributions went into Bridget when Jack did her."

David Hodges appeared behind Wendy. "Yes it's true, that is what I found."

"We need to talk to Ellie and someone needs to find Jack!" Nick said and shook his head and dismissed the two lab techs.

Jim Brass was discussing the case with his daughter Ellie in his office. "Ellie I know that I haven't been much of a father to you, but why did you come to Vegas? Why can't you quit what you do?" he asked.

She shrugged. "It's not as if I am overly smart. I have barely a high school education and ha try to get into college, I tried back then and I failed and you were so busy with your life you didn't see my struggles. I ended up on the streets with my real friends and having to do what I gotta do to earn my keep."

"Do you want to turn your life around?"

"And do what? Go to college? Will you get me in and then watch as I fail?"

"Ellie, stop that."

She sighed. "Ok fine, I came here to try to start a new life, me and Bridget, We were going to try to get waitressing jobs at a casino or something. But then one night we were approached by Jack Willman and Bridget was sucked in to that life again."

"Did you get involved too?"

She shrugged. "I had no choice. Jack was very menacing."

"Did you uh sleep with him?"

Ellie didn't reply, but that was a sure tell.

Nick and Amanda knocked on the door and Brass waved them in.

"Ellie, did you sleep with Jack before he slept with Bridget?" Nick asked. "Tell the truth please."

"He forced himself on me and then her. It was a threesome."

"No condom?"

Ellie looked at her father and then at Nick and Amanda. "He didn't wear one and we were too scared of him to force it on him.

"Relevance?" Jim asked.

"Uh Wendy and Hodges found evidence that uh Jack did both girls."

Brass waved them away. "OK enough detail."

"Protect me! I don't want this guy to kill me for telling you what I know."

"It was my twin sister that he murdered 9 years ago, he was sentenced to life in prison for that – and somehow he got out!"

"Don't worry Ellie, someone will protect you at all times, maybe you should stay here at PD to be safe. No you will not be in a cell, but in a room where we keep our witnesses." Nick suggested.

"OK, as long as I am going to be safe." She said.

"Go with Amanda here, she'll escort you to the washroom, you can wash up and then we'll escort you to your room." Jim said.

Ellie smiled for the first time in a long time. With in 45 minutes, she was settled in her room and asleep.

Jim sighed. "I hope to hell I get through to her. I hope she turns herself around at some point!"

Meanwhile Jack Willman was still at large. No one knew where he was and his plan was to stay hidden until he could make his next kill.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI

Gil Grissom walked into CSI a few days later. He knew he had to stop by to get his mail and have a chat with his team. He held the door for Sara who was pushing their triple stroller.

Judy looked at him in surprise and gave him a wink.

"Congrats Mr. Grissom, Ms. Sidle." She said.

"Thanks Judy" they chimed.

Sara pushed the stroller of sleeping infants down the hall and as they passed Catherine's office, Catherine just happened to look up.

"Gil?"

"My office please, summon the others too."

Catherine did so and they all assembled in Grissom's office.

"First everyone, I just want to apologize for not um coming in sooner. It has been very hectic with the three of them lately. We thought we were only having twins, but baby #3 was hiding behind baby #2 so we didn't see him on the ultra sound.

Sara pointed to each sleeping baby one by one. "The first one is Sierra, she was the one that was born blind. Doctors say that there is a possibility with an operation she could gain some sight. This is Justin – he was born 2nd, he is the healthiest of the three. The third one, her name is Angel - we named her Angel because she was the one who stayed in neo-natal for an extra two weeks since she was born she underwent a lot of testing and she has definite breathing problems. – Which is why she's on oxygen. She was the tiniest of the three babies too , despite her being a full term baby. The doctor figures that she lost some oxygen when she was in utero. "Sara waved her hands. "I don't know – I don't really understand all that talk. The point is she is healthy but it's day to day." Sara said.

The CSI team looked at the new parents and then at the children. All three babies looked peaceful but Sara and Gil looked harried.

"I'm sorry for being such a pain Gil, I didn't know and Judy hadn't given me the telegram so I honestly did not know." Catherine said.

Before either of them could reply, Sierra started to cry. As not to wake the others, Sara scooped up her daughter, sat in Grissom's chair and commenced nursing her daughter. No one said a word. Justin and Angel continued to sleep, every so often Justin would wiggle in his sleep then continue to gurgle and snore.

"Are you nursing all three babies?" Asked Amanda.

Sara nodded. "Most of the time. But when all three are crying at once we give one a bottle of expressed breast milk while I tandem feed the other two."

Catherine looked at her. "They don't get nipple confusion?"

Sara rolled her eyes. "Not really." She shrugged. "The babies don't really care where they get their milk ,as long as they're fed when they want it."

"Oh. My Lindsay was very picky that way. She hated the bottle. I would nurse her and then when I had to go out for whatever reason, I'd express and she wouldn't take the bottle. My mother would have to call me away from where I was to come nurse my baby"

"Well maybe you should not have gone out and left your baby then." Amanda muttered.

"What did you say?" demanded Catherine angrily to Amanda.

"Shhhh! The children are sleeping!" Gil said.

"That doesn't excuse her behaviour! Take that back ms rookie!" Catherine said.

Angel started to stir.

"Would you pipe down!" hissed Grissom. "You are waking up my baby!"

Catherine and Amanda could only exchange glares.

Sierra indicated she was done nursing so Sara burped her and the infant fell promptly asleep again. She set her daughter in her seat in the stroller.

"Catherine you and Amanda need to get along. I'm going to be gone for another five months. So she is going to be reporting to you Cath. Get along!" Grissom said.

"Wonder if you're anything like your sister, you certainly act like her, same attitude problem, mouthiness. Twins are not usually so different, especially identical twins!."

Amanda looked like she was about to lose her temper, instead she got up from her chair and left the room. Nick got up and followed her to the break room.

"I'm sorry Nick – but I don't know if this job is for me. If Catherine is going to be my boss for the next six months then I don't know if I can continue. She just gets under my skin."

"Amanda, you were the one who started it with that crack earlier not her."

"I don't understand though – it was her own doing. She said she was out and her mom had to call her to come home and feed her baby. C'mon now what kind of mother does that while she's still nursing her daughter!"

Nick had no reply. He didn't want to tell Amanda Catherine's business so he kept quiet.

"Amanda, please stay. Don't quit."

"I've been staying at a hotel for the past two weeks Nick. Its time for me to move into my apartment I've subleted for the year. Grissom had me start earlier than planned remember. I had my belongings from Miami brought to my apartment here. They should be arriving shortly. Charli,a friend of mine drove my stuff here and is meeting me at the apartment."

"I'll go with you. Jack Willman is still on the loose. No telling what he will do to you."

Amanda was about to protest, but she nodded. "Ok. Take me in your vehicle. We'll be gone only a short time. It'll give Catherine time to cool down."

Nick and Amanda drove to Amanda's new apartment and sure enough Amanda's friend was waiting for her.

"Charli!" Amanda cried and ran to her friend and they hugged.

"Nick Stokes, this is my longtime friend Charli,"

"My pleasure." Charli said. "It's short for Charlotte, in case you were wondering."

Nick grinned sheepishly.

The three of them unloaded the van with Amanda's things. "So are you hanging around or heading back to Miami."

Amanda and Charli exchanged glances. "Nick I should have introduced you properly. Charli is more than a friend. She's my girlfriend, my partner."

Nick's jaw dropped. That was NOT what he was expecting. But the more he thought about it the more he understood. First glance of Charli looked very masculine and when Amanda had first said that Charli was meeting her there, he just assumed that Charli was a man.

"I uh gotta get back to the lab before Catherine yells at me. Charli, would you give Amanda a lift back to the lab, Amanda will give you directions." He said and took off.

Amanda looked sad and Charli a little angry as they watched Nick drive off.

A/N: Interesting twist huh? Please review!


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